What is the salary and career path for a automation technician?
Automation technician is a close match to Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3024), the BLS code for technicians who maintain automated control systems; the OEWS May 2025 median is $73,900 a year ($35.53 an hour), from $47,840 at the 10th percentile to $109,890 at the 90th. BLS projects only 1.1% employment growth for the code over 2024–2034 — slower than average — with about 1,300 openings a year in a small occupation. It is reached through a mechatronics/instrumentation associate degree or apprenticeship, not a four-year degree.
- Automation Technicians earn a national median $73,900/yr ($35.53/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-3024); the top 10% clear $109,890.
- It is a close-match role: BLS Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3024) is the code for automation technicians at a $73,900 median, shared with robotics technicians.
- No four-year degree is required; a two-year mechatronics/instrumentation associate degree, PLC and ISA certifications and OSHA LOTO/NFPA 70E training are the standard credentials.
- BLS projects only 1.1% growth for SOC 17-3024 through 2034 — slower than average — with about 1,300 openings a year in a small occupation; the ladder runs trainee ($47,840) to automation technician ($73,900 median) to senior tech ($88,540) to controls specialist ($109,890 top decile).
Career Path
How do you become a automation technician?
Controls / maintenance trainee
Assisting on PLC and instrumentation troubleshooting and calibration under a senior tech; entry pay sits near the 10th percentile of $47,840 for SOC 17-3024.
Automation technician
Troubleshooting and maintaining PLC/HMI/SCADA control systems and instrumentation around the $73,900 median for the code.
Senior automation / controls technician
Leading control-system upgrades, integration and complex loop troubleshooting pays toward the 75th percentile of $88,540.
Controls specialist / automation lead
Leading the controls team or moving toward a controls-engineering-support role reaches the 90th percentile of $109,890.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays automation technicians the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-3024. National median: $73,900. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does automation technician pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles automation technicians most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: automation technicians rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +1.1% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly automation technicians clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-3024 (automation technicians) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do automation technicians need?
A two-year associate degree or certificate in mechatronics, automation or instrumentation — the common entry credential. See all state licences →
Manufacturer PLC and HMI certifications on the control platforms the plant runs, the practical credential employers test for.
International Society of Automation credentials (e.g., CCST) for control-systems and calibration competency.
Lockout/tagout (1910.147) and electrical-safety (NFPA 70E) training required to service energized control and power systems safely.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do automation technicians use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 17-3024
Salary Levers
How do automation technicians earn above the $73,900 BLS median?
PLC and SCADA depth
Strong Allen-Bradley/Siemens PLC and SCADA troubleshooting moves pay from the $47,840 band toward the $73,900 median
Instrumentation and calibration
Adding process instrumentation and loop-calibration expertise pays toward the $88,540 seventy-fifth percentile
Integration and networking
Leading control-system upgrades, integration and industrial networking commands a premium as plants add Industry 4.0 systems
Controls specialist / lead
Moving into a controls-specialist or automation-lead role is what reaches the $109,890 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming an automation technician worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-3024. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Automation Technician Career, Frequently Asked Questions
Automation Technician career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring automation technicians?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Automation Technician
Everything for automation technicians in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full automation technician cluster.